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Smoker boarded the warship with his heart racing, excitement written all over his face.
But that excitement quickly turned into unease.
He realized almost immediately that everyone else on the ship looked… dangerous. With the exception of one guy with a red nose and a sloppily worn uniform, the rest of the Marines all had that intimidating, hard-bitten look.
Especially that one with the zombie-like face. Just looking at him screamed "bad news."
"From today onward, Smoker, you're a trainee Marine on this vice admiral's ship," Kyle announced with a gentle smile, clearly noticing Smoker's nerves."Mina, take him to get changed."
Judging by his appearance, Smoker looked a little younger than Rosinante, probably around eleven or twelve.
"Come on, white-haired little bro," Mina said cheerfully, walking over and ruffling his hair before leading the way.
Smoker followed with a sulky expression. As he passed Buggy, his eyes couldn't help drifting to that red nose.
The warship soon departed Loguetown Harbor and headed out to sea.
For Smoker, this was his very first time sailing, and his excitement was impossible to hide. He leaned over the railing, staring wide-eyed as fish leapt from the water, shouting in amazement every few seconds.
"What an ignorant kid," Buggy muttered sourly.
Smoker heard him and turned around. "Red Nose, what did you say?"
"I said you're ignorant," Buggy snorted.
His mood was absolutely terrible. Just yesterday, it had been the two of them staring each other down. Fine, getting shocked once was bad enough, but after one night he somehow woke up as a Marine.
Damn the Navy.Damn Kyle.
"And my dream of the greatest treasure…"
"And that damned red-haired Shanks!"
The more Buggy thought about it, the angrier he got.
"Red Nose, are you a trainee Marine too?" Smoker asked curiously, eyeing his outfit and completely ignoring the earlier insult. "Did you join because you admire Vice Admiral Kyle?"
"Who would admire that guy?" Buggy snapped."And stop calling me Red Nose! I hate it when people talk about my nose!"
"Oh? Really, Red Nose?" Smoker replied with a faint smile.
"That's it, you little brat!" Buggy finally exploded and lunged at him.
Smoker didn't back down. He threw punches and kicks right back. He simply couldn't accept that someone could not admire Vice Admiral Kyle.
That man's ideals were so lofty they could shake anyone to their core.
Back in Loguetown, Smoker was a well-known ringleader among the kids. Fights were nothing new to him, usually in defense of the children in his neighborhood. He always saw himself as fighting on the side of justice.
And just like that, the two newly recruited trainee Marines under Kyle's command were rolling around on the deck, locked in a brawl.
Kyle stood at the bow of the ship. He didn't even turn around, yet he saw everything clearly. A soft chuckle escaped him.
"Look at that. The newcomers are getting along great," he said lightly."They really bonded fast."
Crocodile laughed as well. "You should be more worried about how you'll deal with the fallout from what you said yesterday once we're back at headquarters."
"At worst, I lose my chance at becoming an admiral," Kyle replied calmly.
"That's a shame. Admirals hold a lot of power," Crocodile said regretfully.
In his eyes, with Kyle's reputation and strength, it wouldn't take long before he was promoted to admiral. At that point, he'd truly be standing at the peak of life.
If he endured patiently for ten or twenty more years, even the position of Fleet Admiral wouldn't be out of reach.
Backed by the entire Navy, he could overturn the world or throw everything into chaos with a single decision.
After all, the Navy was the most powerful force in the world, its influence stretching across every sea and every nation. Its scale and prestige were almost unimaginable.
The World Government's ability to rule the globe, and the Celestial Dragons' comfortable dominance, all relied heavily on the Navy.
"Sometimes, giving something up lets you gain even more," Kyle said with a smile.
He turned around, watching the two boys still fighting, and laughed again.
Take Smoker, for example.
Who would have thought that the very next day after he spoke those words, a future Marine vice admiral would come knocking at his door?
And just by looking at the other Marines' expressions, it was clear how much turmoil those words had stirred among the lower ranks.
After all, who would willingly accept being trampled under someone else's heel?
The two boys fought without any real technique, but they were throwing real punches. Before long, both of them were bruised and swollen.
Buggy was actually a bit stronger. He'd spent two years as an apprentice pirate on the Roger Pirates, and at fifteen, he was older. But thanks to yesterday's electric shock, his old injuries hadn't healed.
In the end, the fight was evenly matched. Exhausted, the two collapsed onto the deck, gasping for air.
"Rosinante," Kyle called out once they were done.
"Yes, sir!" Rosinante ran over with a grin.
Everyone on the ship had been watching the fight without stopping it. To them, it was just amusing kids' roughhousing.
"These two are your responsibility now," Kyle said casually." They've got plenty of energy, so step up their training.""As for the workload, just about what you went through back then."
"Understood!" Rosinante replied with a mischievous laugh before heading off.
Not long after, agonized screams echoed across the ship as the two new trainee Marines began their painful "training."
That evening, the warship passed through the Calm Belt. Several hours later, deep into the night, they arrived at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Smoker and Buggy, both battered and bruised, were already fast asleep from exhaustion.
With a brief order from Kyle, Rosinante and T-Bone carried the two boys on their backs.
The group returned to the residential area and dispersed to rest.
The moon hung high in the sky, stars scattered thinly as the night breeze swept across Marineford.
An invisible field spread out rapidly, enveloping the entire Marine headquarters.
In an instant, every corner of the massive military fortress appeared clearly in Kyle's mind.
"Kuzan and the others are already back.""The vice admirals have all turned in for the night.""Teacher Garp…"
His focus suddenly shifted toward the main headquarters building.
Voices echoed. Several figures sharpened from blur into clarity, forming naturally in his mind like a VR projection.
"Is becoming stronger really about standing above everyone else?""Equal justice…"
At his desk, Kong's expression grew serious, then softened into a quiet sigh.
"Kyle's idealism deserves respect," he said."What he said also aligns with the justice our Navy claims to uphold."
"If those words spread, they could even counterbalance the shock Roger caused at his execution and bring a short-term surge in recruitment worldwide."
"But…"
He trailed off.
After a pause, Kong sighed again, regret written all over his face.
"So what are your plans for his future assignments, Fleet Admiral?" Sengoku asked gravely.
"I originally intended to make him the third headquarters admiral after you and Zephyr, once Roger's execution was over," Kong replied."In terms of strength and reputation, Kyle has more than earned it."
He paused, then sighed once more.
"But those words he spoke to the world could cost him everything."
Sengoku's expression changed instantly.
"You're going to kick him out of the Navy?"
"..."
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